


On Ice

by tonks42



Series: Skate On [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Drabbles, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 14:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3653775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonks42/pseuds/tonks42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winning Nationals and finding a boyfriend in the mix wasn't the end of the story for Kurt. These short stories continue where Skate On left off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Harmony

**Author's Note:**

> These short stories were originally written for the Klaine Advent Challenge 2014.

“So what’s really bothering you, Kurt?”

Kurt sighed. He’d known going into this Skype call that he’d never really be able to hide his hurt from his father. “Blaine and I got into a fight.”

“Ah.” Burt didn’t seem too surprised at the reason. “Your first?”

Kurt nodded, suddenly glad to be having conversation over Skype rather than just a regular phone call. He and Blaine had bickered before this, sure, but it was the first time he’d really say they were fighting.

“It was bound to happen. Dating your roommate. Training together. No relationship is all light and harmony but those are added stressors,” Burt pointed out. “You ready to apologize yet?”

“What makes you think it was my fault?” Kurt bristled.

Burt laughed. “I raised you, Kurt. Let me see if I can describe what happened. You got stressed out. You pulled away, and Blaine got his feelings hurt. Then you got your feelings hurt and said something you shouldn’t. About right?”

Kurt’s eyebrows raised. “How did you know?”

“I told you. I raised you. I know you better than anyone. It’s how you react when you get stressed out, but Blaine might not know that yet.” Burt looked right at his son through the screen. “You need to sit down and talk it out with him. Communication is the key to any relationship, Kurt. Apologize. Accept his. Talk about how each of you were feeling and work through it. You’ll only come out stronger. At least until next time.”

“I’ll try. Thanks, Dad.” Kurt smiled tightly through the screen. “When did you get so smart?”


	2. Rent

Kurt quickly came to realize that dating the person you rent a room from and live with had plenty of awkward moments. He knew exactly what his boyfriend looked like with bedhead and morning breath, even though they’d never yet slept in the same bed. Kurt was just glad that Blaine was as tidy a soul as he was, because that meant he didn’t have to deal with some of his pet peeves in his boyfriend. There were no socks or underwear laying about, even when Blaine had his bedroom door open.

It meant that if they argued, there was really no escape. He couldn’t take a day or two to stew and then call Blaine up to apologize. Not when they lived and practiced in such close quarters.

But most annoyingly for Kurt, it meant that the end of a date was awkward. When did it really end? At the door? On the couch catching up on their Netflix queue? When they went to bed? Kurt had never had a real boyfriend before, and he’d always imagined someone kissing him goodnight on his doorstep. That wouldn’t work here.

There were positives to renting from the boy you were dating. He got to see Blaine all the time. All the time. They didn’t have to be on a date to sit down to dinner together. He didn’t have to sleep over to wake up to Blaine making him eggs. And in the end, it was just worth it. All the awkward moments were outweighed in Kurt’s eyes by Blaine himself. If he was going to deal with awkward moments, at least he could do it with someone who made him smile.


	3. Balance

Skating felt like flying. When the music was on and Kurt found his rhythm, it just felt like he was on air. Sometimes it was a fight, but on days when it clicked? It just felt like magic. Like everything was right in the world.

As the song came to an end, Kurt found the perfect balance on his skate as he twisted into a fast spin. As the last chord faded away and Kurt struck his final pose, the sound of clapping brought him back to earth. When he was at a competition, he expected clapping at the end of a number. Here in his practice rink? When he thought that he’d had the ice to himself? That jarred Kurt out of the trance that a perfect skate had put him into. He spun around on the ice, only relaxing when he saw Blaine there.

“Bravo!” Blaine called, leaning against the boards of the rink. “That was a skate worthy of Worlds next week. You are going to do wonderfully.”

Kurt forced out a breath, settling back into himself. Years of bullying had conditioned his response to loud noises he didn’t expect, but this was Blaine. Blaine was someone he’d learned to trust. “I need more practice,” Kurt insisted, skating over to face Blaine.

“Did you just see yourself?” Blaine asked.

“Generally? Unless there’s a mirror, I’m not very good at seeing myself,” Kurt commented dryly, leaning in close across the half wall of the ice rink.

Blaine laughed as he leaned in for a quick kiss. “Smart ass. Well, I saw you, and if I was a judge, you’d have a great score from me.”

“You, sir, are biased,” Kurt pointed out with a smile, feeling himself starting to relax, his shoulders losing the tension they’d gained when he was startled.

“I am. I’m also hoping to lure you away,” Blaine admitted. “It’s Friday night. I think that’s a good excuse to drag my boyfriend out for a date.”

Kurt hesitated. “I’d love to, but I really need to practice. Worlds are coming up and-”

“And you are dedicated, but you’ve been on skates practically all day.” Blaine stood up straighter, tucking his hands down into the pockets of his jeans. “The need for balance says that you can take a few hours off this evening for a movie or a walk on the beach. Maybe even both. Then you can hit the ice again in the morning. Push too hard today and you could end up hurting yourself.”

Kurt glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Just give me another half an hour to practice? You can go see what’s showing. Deal?”

“Deal.”

 


	4. Needle

Blaine pushed open the door to the condo’s small balcony, walking quietly over to take a seat in one of the patio chairs. He slid a steaming mug onto the side table between his chair and the one Kurt was curled up in. “I thought you could use some tea. You’ve been quiet all day.”

Kurt took the mug, giving Blaine a tight, thankful smile before he turned back to staring at the sunset. From the balcony they had just a snippet of a view of the ocean, over rooftops and a roadway. “My mother died thirteen years ago today,” Kurt admitted quietly. “It hits me hard every year, no matter how long it’s been.”

“I’m so sorry.” Blaine shook his head. “I don’t really know how to relate to that. I’m lucky. I’ve never lost anyone that important to me.”

“I’ve never understood that about life. Why are some of us that lucky and then other people lose whole families?” Kurt took a sip of the tea, trying to compose himself. “Grief is never the same, but it always hurts. At first, it’s like someone has torn you open. You hurt so badly that you feel like life can’t go on. But it does, and somehow you do, too. Slowly it heals, becomes more like the prick of a needle. Painful, but bearable. But no matter how long it has been, there are still the days, the memories, the anniversaries that tear you back open again, but it heals faster. You learn how to stitch up the wound and move on.”

Blaine listened intently, keenly aware of the level of trust that Kurt was putting in him by being so open. “I wish there was a way I could help you feel better.”

“You’re here. You brought me tea.” Kurt turned with a watery half smile. “It all helps. But sometimes I just need a few moments to mourn for the could have beens before I can move on with what is.”


	5. Occasion

“Perfect timing! I was just putting the finishing touches on dinner.” Blaine had an apron tied around his waist and a wooden spoon in his hand as he turned to watch Kurt walk in the door of the condo they shared.

“Dinner?” Kurt dropped the bag he’d brought home from the rink in front of his door and stood staring at the table. Blaine had set it with already, with a table cloth, place mats, and a cheery flower arrangement in the center. “Did I miss something? This looks like it’s set for a special occasion.”

“It is a special occasion,” Blaine said cheerfully as he turned back to stir the sauce he had simmering in a pot on the stove. “It’s an anniversary of sorts.”

“It’s not- you’re not going to start celebrating months are you?” Kurt asked warily.

Blaine laughed. “No, though it has been almost six. But today is a special anniversary. It’s been exactly one year since you moved to Los Angeles.”

“It has?” Kurt rested his hands on the back of the wooden dining chair, leaning against it as he considered that. “It has. Somehow it feels like it’s been so much less than that and so much longer than that at the same time.”

“It’s been a good year. Professionally. Personally. Why, a year ago you would barely talk to me. Now?” Blaine grabbed a salad bowl off the counter, stopping to press a quick kiss to Kurt’s lips as he dropped it off on the table. “Now you give me more than just the time of day. That in itself is an occasion worth celebrating.”


	6. Imprint

“Our next guest is making a splash in the cool world of ice skating. Please welcome reigning Men’s National Champion, Kurt Hummel!”

Kurt stepped out of the curtain, trying not to stare around the set. It was nothing but surreal, stepping out to see a studio audience and Ellen herself standing there waiting for him as the music played. He forced out a deep breath and shimmied his way down to the chair. He’d gotten to meet Ellen earlier backstage and that helped to keep him from panicking as she came up to give him a quick hug.

“Sit, sit!” Ellen pointed him to a chair. “So, this is your first talk show appearance?”

Kurt nodded his head, perching on the edge of the chair as she sat down facing him. “It is. It is. I’ve done interviews but nothing like this.” He waved his hand at the studio audience, hoping that their laughter was a good thing.

“Well, welcome! I’m glad you could come be with us here today.” Ellen smiled over, her expression helping to soothe some of Kurt’s nerves. “I hear that you’re gearing up for a competition?”

“I am!” Kurt could talk easily about this. “Nationals are coming up this weekend. I hope that all of you will have the chance to watch.”

“You’ll be defending your title?” Ellen asked.

“I’ll certainly be trying to. The competition is fierce, but I’m ready for it.” Kurt forced a smile onto his face. He tried asking himself, what would Blaine do? After all, his boyfriend was much better with this kind of social situation, at least in Kurt’s mind.

Ellen said, “We’ll come back to that in a minute. First of all, I wanted to ask you about your move out here to Los Angeles last year. I know that many people in the audience today probably saw that video that went viral, and I won’t subject you to watching it now. I just wanted to know, if you saw Sue Sylvester today, what would you have to say to her?”

Kurt took a deep breath at that and then shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d say. You know, everyone we come across leaves an imprint on our life, for good and for ill. I won’t talk poorly of Coach Sue. I learned a lot from her, and she shaped me into an Olympian. I will just say that I’m very happy to be working with Alex now. He is an amazing coach and a great person.”

“Very politically put.” Ellen smiled over. “Alright. That’s out of the way, so let’s get back to your competition. I hear that you’re training right alongside one of them, right?”

Kurt nodded. “Blaine Anderson trains at the same rink with Alexander Wilson as well.”

“And how has that been? Is it stressful having the competition always around?” Ellen asked.

“It’s really not. Working together has been great for both of us. We challenge each other, but it’s friendly competition.” Kurt relaxed at this change of subject. He could talk all day about working with Alex and Blaine. “Honestly, I think that it makes both of us better.”

Ellen grabbed a remote off of her side table, putting a picture up on the screen behind her of Kurt and Blaine laughing together in competition outfits. “The two of you make a nice pair there. You know, the whole internet seems to think that the two of you are dating.”

Kurt could feel heat creeping up his cheeks. This comment wasn’t a surprise. He and Blaine had discussed this, and he’d talked about it with her before the show. They’d been together a year now. Their relationship was more than stable enough to let the world know about it. Both of them were tired of hiding. In the moment, it felt like exposing himself, though. “Well, they would be right. We are.” Kurt couldn’t keep the blush away, but he also couldn’t hide his grin as the crowd cheered for them.

—-

**Skatefan97**

**Did you all see the Ellen footage yet today? Kurt admitted publicly to their relationship! Klaine is officially on!**


	7. Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at the end, a look back to the beginning. This short story is set years before Skate On, when Blaine was 14.

Lacing up his skates was as awkward as always with one arm still in a cast. Skating with a cast on might not be truly recommended, but as soon as the big bulky one that had gone practically to his armpit had been traded for a shorter on that started below his elbow, Blaine had found his way back to the ice. He needed to be there. If nothing else, he needed one thing in his life that felt at least somewhat normal. Nothing in his life the past few months had been normal, not since he’d come out and certainly not since he’d had the crap beaten out of him outside that dance. He knew that he had fallen from his parents’ grace the moment he’d told them he was gay. He’d seen it in their eyes.

He’d seen it again in his mother’s face when she put him on a plane to Los Angeles, sending him to live with Cooper. On the surface, they’d said that it was to keep him safe, but he’d known as soon as he heard their plan that it was also a way to get out of really having to deal with him. He’d heard it in his mother’s parting words at the airport. “Work hard, Blaine. Behave. Your father and I are counting on you to be responsible. Alexander Wilson has agreed to give you a trial run as one of his students based on the videos we sent. You will not mess this up. You hear?”

Blaine had known before then that his skating mattered to them only in his reputation and not in his love of the sport. He’d had to pull out of competitions after that dance, unable to compete with a cast or a body sore bone deep from bruises, and suddenly, instead of a son excelling in a sport, if one they might wish was more masculine, they’d had nothing left to tell their friends about him. They couldn’t brag about his success in skating when he was barely able to take the ice. Having to admit why he was taking a season off would only make it worse. Blaine’s worth had fallen even more in their eyes, he knew. Why else would they be so adamant about sending their fourteen year old son across the country?

Blaine pushed the worry aside, trying to get rid of all the disappointment and fear. To get rid of the regret that his family wasn’t like those in the movies. No matter what had led him here, he was standing in Los Angeles, and today he’d start working with a someone who was coaching an Olympian. He’d never have had that chance at his rink in Columbus. He just had to follow his mother’s advice and not screw this up.

Laces firmly in place, Blaine stood, taking the couple of steps to the edge of the rink to push off onto the ice. A lap around the rink helped to settle his fear and his nerves, letting the familiar action setting blade to ice calm him.

“Come on over!” A booming voice called out over the ice, and Blaine turned smoothly spotting a man in his late thirties or so standing at the edge of the rink. Blaine tried not to stare as he skated in, allowing himself a few shaky breaths. The man smiled and offered out a hand as Blaine came close. “You must be Blaine. You’re littler than you looked on the videos. I’m Alex.”

Blaine blinked, unsure how to take that greeting. He reached out, once again glad it wasn’t his right hand in the cast, to shake his new coach’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’ve been skating with the cast?” He stopped, waiting for Blaine’s nod before continuing, “We’ll keep putting you on the ice then, but I want you to take it easy out there. Most of your hard work right now is going to be in the gym. I do not want you falling wrong and making that any worse than it is. Alright? My goal is for you to stay in shape, so that when that cast comes off we can jump right back into your on ice training without too much catch up time. You’re going to El Segundo High?”

Blaine nodded, caught between being overwhelmed by the information and the person himself. “Yes, sir,” he finally answered, relying on keeping it simple to keep from sticking his foot in his mouth.

Alex laughed. “You don’t have to call me sir. It’s just Alex, please. And that’s good. I’ve worked with them before for time off for competitions and events. They’re flexible. You settling in alright?”

This time Blaine stuck with nodding, a shy smile on his face. Maybe if he just said nothing, it would go even better.

Alex seemed to realize that this was going nowhere because he changed tactics. “Alright, then. I’ll leave more checking than that to my wife. She’s probably going to be asking you over to dinner soon. She loves to feed people. Now, let’s see your moves. I’m going to come out on the ice, and we’ll run through a few jumps and spins, alright?”

Blaine nodded again, taking the quick break for another lap around the ice, taking a few quick single jumps, getting the feel for it and trying to settle his nerves. Relaxation had been something hard to come by in the last few weeks. Maybe if he could settle in here he could finally feel like he wasn’t constantly waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Over the next few minutes, Blaine found that following Alex’s directions was easier than he’d expected. He wasn’t as rusty as he’d feared and the silent prayers to some unknown deity that he wasn’t going to fall in front of this man in their first meeting seemed to have payed off if the size of the smile on Alex’s face when he landed a jump cleanly was anything to judge by.

“I’d swear you had springs in those skates, Blaine,” Alex said, his grin taking more of the edge off Blaine’s nerves. “You are a regular Tigger.”


End file.
